From: Mark

July 21, 1999
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Mountain View, CA

The Goo Goo Dolls played their 2nd Bay Area show in 8 months & this was a huge show for the band. When they played San Francisco in December at the Fillmore (capacity 1100) it was a fantastic show but the crowd was only half-interested. When they played Shoreline in front of 15,000 people the atmosphere was totally electric. A gorgeous evening under the stars & a bright half-moon, the GGDolls rocked & swayed the crowd from the first song until the final encore. The 90-95 minute set was the same as the first 4 stops on this never-ending tour that is keeping the band on the road for the better part of the rest of 1999 & doesn't officially end until next February! The Goo Goo Dolls were totally energized by the great crowd response to EVERY song & all of the songs sounded as great as possible for a live outdoor concert. The in-house sound mix was excellent & all i can say is that the Shoreline Amphitheatre is an AWESOME place to see & hear a band. Fastball played a very strong set to open the show & was well-received by the crowd. The Sugar Ray fans swallowed the most bitter pill by finding out at the show that Sugar Ray was sick (voice-related illness) & would not be performing. The rumors circulating about this were many, but the most believable one had something to do with him 'saving' his voice for Woodstock Festival in NY this weekend. I had never seen Sugar Ray so i was disappointed myself. But i came to see the Goo Goo Dolls & they responded to the maximum.

One good thing about Sugar Rays cancellation: Fastball played an extra 10 minutes & the GGDolls played earlier than originally scheduled. This meant instead of the GGD leaving directly after the show to head north for a radio-station show in Seattle (which they were scheduled to do), the band got to spend a LOT more time with all their fans after the show. I think the band had their pictures taken more last night than at any time in their life!!!

I spoke with tons of fans from all over the arena: outside the gates, at the ticket windows, backstage, in the general seated areas & at the concessions & everyone i spoke with was loving the show & seemed to be having tons of fun. i asked everone i knew if they were on the 'mailing list' & most said "No" & i gave them the info needed to subscribe. i do not apologize for the length of this review because i rarely ever post TO the list. I usually just respond to individuals occassionally. If at all possible, DO see the Goo Goo Dolls on THIS tour. It is definitely the BEST they have to offer & you should not be disappointed. It doesn't really get any better than this.

I spoke with Robby at length about all kinds of stuff & i talked with Johnny a little bit also (everyone always wants Johnny for stuff), as much as possible considering i've known him for over 10 years.

I talked with Mike quite a bit & also a lot with Dave the keyboardist.

I only spoke with Nathan briefly, & it was to congratulate him on his awesome guitar solo during 'Iris'. I must also mention that Daves keyboard playing of the violin parts of 'Iris' was absolutely incredible. 'Iris' was the absolute BEST they could ever play that song. Other highlights were 'Slide', 'Black Balloon' & 'Name'. During 'Full Forever' Robby knocked his mike over & the stage guy totally fixed it & replaced it before his next singing part came around! The Goo Goo Dolls even have a great road crew. I won't be forgetting this concert anytime soon.